OFC Champions League: Group-Stage Play Commences

Group-stage action in the OFC (Oceania) Champions League got under way on Saturday with four games.

Group A:

At Honiara, Solomon Islands:

Fenedy Masauvakalo (64') and Papa Gueye (PK-76') each scored once as Amicale (Vanuatu) blanked the home-standing Solomon Warriors 2-0.

At Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea:

Malakai Tiwa (44'), Sanni Issa (52'), and Tuimasi Manuca (90'+2) each delivered a goal as Ba FC (Fiji) defeated PRK Hekari United 3-1.

GROUP A STANDINGS:

1. Ba FC (GP: 1; GD: +2; PTS: 3)
2. Amicale FC (GP: 1; GD: +2; PTS: 3)
3. PRK Hekari United (GP: 1; GD: -2; PTS: 0)
4. Solomon Warriors FC (GP: 1; GD: -2; PTS: 0)

Group B:

At Auckland, New Zealand:

AS Dragon from Tahiti held home-standing Waitakere United to a 0-0 stalemate.

At Noumea, New Caledonia:

Gustavo Souto (61') and Adam Dickinson (PK-66') each scored a goal five-minutes apart in Auckland City's 2-0 road blanking of Mont-Dore.

GROUP B STANDINGS:

1. Auckland City (GP: 1; GD: +2; PTS: 3)
2. Waitakere United (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
3. AS Dragon (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
4. AS Mont-Dore (GP: 1; GD: -2; PTS: 0)

MLS: Red Bulls, Hoops, SKC, Quakes, RSL, Goats Rack Up Saturday Wins; Impact, Unbeaten No More

Eight games were played in Major League Soccer on Saturday.

At Toronto:

Jose Villarreal's stoppage-time equalizer (90'+2) lifted the Los Angeles Galaxy to a 2-2 road draw with Toronto FC.

At Harrison, New Jersey:

Thierry Henry scored the winning goal in the 81st minute as the New York Red Bulls downed the visiting Philadelphia Union 2-1.

At Foxborough, Massachusetts:

Blaz Perez scored the lone goal of the match in the 87th minute as FC Dallas eked out a 1-0 road win over the New England Revolution.

At Commerce City, Colorado:

Will Johnson scored twice (55', PK-71') as the Portland Timbers erased a two-goal deficit and gained a 2-2 road draw with the Colorado Rapids.  Dillon Powers (18') and Hendry Thomas (PK-48') provided the scoring for the hosts.

At Houston:

Will Bruin (17') and Giles Barnes (42') each scored a goal as the Houston Dynamo blanked the visiting San Jose Earthquakes 2-0.

At Kansas City, Kansas:

Claudio Bieler (5') and Graham Zusi (80') each scored a goal as Sporting Kansas City blanked the previously-unbeaten and untied Montreal Impact 2-0 at home.

At Sandy, Utah:

Robbie Findley (8') and Luis Gil (35') each delivered a goal as Real Salt Lake held off the visiting Seattle Sounders 2-1.

At Carson, California:

Eric Avila scored what proved to be the winning goal in the 55th minute as Chivas USA defeated the visiting Vancouver Whitecaps 2-1.

MLS STANDINGS:

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

1. Montreal (GP: 5; GF: 6; GD: +2; PTS: 12)
2. Houston (GP: 4; GF: 8; GD: +4; PTS: 9)
3. Kansas City (GP: 5; GF: 6; GD: +3; PTS: 8)
4. Columbus (GP: 4; GF: 7; GD: +3; PTS: 7)
5. Philadelphia (GP: 4; GF: 5; GD: -1; PTS: 6)
6. New York (GP: 5; GF: 6; GD: -1; PTS: 5)
7. Toronto (GP: 4; GF: 5; GD: -1; PTS: 4)
8. DC United (GP: 4; GF: 2; GD: -2; PTS: 4)
9. New England (GP: 4; GF: 1; GD: -1; PTS:4)
10. Chicago (GP: 4; GF: 1; GD: -8; PTS: 1)

WESTERN CONFERENCE:

1. FC Dallas (GP: 5; GF: 8; GD: +3; PTS: 12)
2. Chivas USA (GP: 5; GF: 10; GD: +3; PTS: 10)
3. Los Angeles (GP: 4; GF: 8; GD: +5; PTS: 8)
4. Real Salt Lake (GP: 5; GF: 5; GD: 0; PTS: 7)
5. San Jose (GP: 5; GF: 4; GD: -2; PTS: 7)
6. Vancouver (GP: 4; GF: 5; GD: 0; PTS: 6)
7. Portland (GP: 4; GF: 7; GD: -1; PTS: 3)
8. Colorado (GP: 5; GF: 4; GD: -3; PTS: 2)
9. Seattle (GP: 4; GF: 2; GD: -3; PTS: 1)

2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifying (CONCACAF): Team USA Gains Scoreless Draw In Mexico; Home Wins For Ticos, Panama

Action from the final round of CONCACAF regional qualifying for next year's World Cup continued on Tuesday with three games.

At Mexico City:

The United States (whose snowy 1-0 Friday night win over Costa Rica was upheld earlier Tuesday by FIFA) gained only their second World Cup-qualifying point on Mexico by holding El Tri to a 0-0 stalemate.

At San Jose, Costa Rica:

Michael Umana (22') and Diego Calvo (82') provided the scoring in Costa Rica's 2-0 home blanking of Jamaica.

At Panama City, Panama:

Luis Tejada (2') and Blaz Perez (75') provided the scoring as Panama moved to the top of the hexagonal group after blanking visiting Honduras 2-0.

HEXAGONAL STANDINGS:

1. Panama (GP: 3; GD: +2; PTS: 5)
2. Costa Rica (GP: 3; GD: +1; PTS: 4)
3. United States (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 4)
4. Honduras (GP: 3; GD: -1; PTS: 4)
5. Mexico (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
6. Jamaica (GP: 3; GD: -2; PTS: 2) 

MLS: Goats Blast Fire On Road

At Bridgeview, Illinois:

In the lone Sunday Major League Soccer contest, Edgar Mejia (57'), Oscar Velazquez (73'), and Juan Agudelo (75') each scored a goal as Chivas USA broke open what was at halftime a scoreless stalemate and converted the match into a 4-1 road rout of the Chicago Fire.

MLS STANDINGS:

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

1. Montreal (GP: 4; GF: 6; GD: +4; PTS: 12)
2. Columbus (GP: 4; GF: 7; GD: +3; PTS: 7)
3. Houston (GP: 3; GF: 6; GD: +2; PTS: 6)
4. Philadelphia (GP: 3; GF: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 6)
5. Kansas City (GP: 4; GF: 4; GD: +1; PTS: 5)
6. DC United (GP: 4; GF: 2; GD: -2; PTS: 4)
7. New England (GP: 3; GF: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 4)
8. Toronto FC (GP: 3; GF: 3; GD: -1; PTS: 3)
9. New York (GP: 4; GF: 4; GD: -2; PTS: 2)
10. Chicago (GP: 4; GF: 1; GD: -8; PTS: 1)

WESTERN CONFERENCE:

1. FC Dallas (GP: 4; GF: 7; GD: +2; PTS: 9)
2. Chivas USA (GP: 4; GF: 8; GD: +2; PTS: 7)
3. Los Angeles (GP: 3; GF: 6; GD: +5; PTS: 7)
4. San Jose (GP: 4; GF: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 7)
5. Vancouver (GP: 3; GF: 4; GD: +1; PTS: 6)
6. Real Salt Lake (GP: 4; GF: 3; GD: -1; PTS: 4)
7. Portland (GP: 3; GF: 5; GD: -1; PTS: 2)
8. Colorado (GP: 4; GF: 2; GD: -3; PTS: 1)
9. Seattle (GP: 3; GF: 1; GD: -2; PTS: 1)

MLS: Crew, Impact, Hoops, Dynamo, Galaxy, Quakes Register Wins; Goose Eggs In Foxborough

Saturday saw seven Major League Soccer games being contested.

At Washington:

Ben Speas scored the winning goal in the 58th minute as the Columbus Crew knocked off DC United 2-1 on the road, ending the hosts' 18-match home unbeaten streak.

At Foxborough, Massachusetts:

Sporting Kansas City held the home-standing New England Revolution to a 0-0 stalemate.

At Montreal:

Marco Di Vaio scored the only goal of the match in the 14th minute as the Montreal Impact maintained their 100% start to their MLS season with a 1-0 home win over the ten-man New York Red Bulls.

At Frisco, Texas:

Fabian Castillo (70') and Jackson (81') each delivered a goal late in the second half as FC Dallas blanked visiting (and ten-man) Real Salt Lake 2-0.

At Houston:

Giles Barnes (55') and Warren Creavalle (62') each scored once as the Houston Dynamo came from behind to upend the previously-unbeaten Vancouver Whitecaps 2-1.

At Carson, California:

Mike Magee's successful penalty kick in the 50th minute lifted the Los Angeles Galaxy to a 1-0 home win over the ten-man Colorado Rapids.

At Santa Clara, California:

Chris Wondolowski scored the only goal of the match in first-half stoppage time (45'+1) as the San Jose Earthquakes downed the visiting Seattle Sounders 1-0.

2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifying: Snowy Win For Team USA; El Tri Blow Two-Goal Lead, Settle For Draw In Honduras; Panama Gain Road Draw In Jamaica

Three games were played on Friday as the final round of CONCACAF regional qualifying for next year's World Cup continued.

At Commerce City, Colorado:

Clint Dempsey scored the only goal of the match in the 16th minute as the United States defeated visiting Costa Rica 1-0 in what look almost like blizzard conditions.

At San Pedro Sula, Honduras:

Carlo Costly (77') and Jerry Bengston (80') each scored a goal three minutes apart as Honduras erased a late two-goal deficit to gain a 2-2 home draw with Mexico.  Javier Hernandez provided both of El Tri's tallies (28', 54').

At Kingston, Jamaica:

Luis Henriquez provided the equalizer in the 65th minute as Panama gained a 1-1 road draw with Jamaica.  Marvin Elliot scored in the 24th minute for the Reggae Boyz.

HEXAGONAL STANDINGS:

1. Honduras (GP: 2; GD: +1; PTS: 4)
2. United States (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
3. Panama (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 2)
4. Mexico (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 2)
5. Jamaica (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 2)
6. Costa Rica (GP: 2; GD: -1; PTS: 1)

MLS: Late Goal Carries Hoops Past Dynamo In Texas Derby; Late Goal Gains Road Draw For Goats With Galaxy

Two games were played on Sunday in Major League Soccer.

At Frisco, Texas:

Kenny Cooper scored the winning goal in the 90th minute as FC Dallas, after having blown a two-goal lead, still pulled out a 3-2 home triumph over the Houston Dynamo.

At Carson, California:

Carlos Alvarez delivered the equalizer in the 89th minute as Chivas USA gained a 1-1 road draw with the Los Angeles Galaxy (though both clubs share the Home Depot Center, this contest was designated a Galaxy home game).  Jack McBean scored for the Galaxy in the 84th minute, giving Los Angeles what turned out to be a short-lived lead.

MLS STANDINGS:

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

1. Montreal (GP: 3; GF: 5; GD: +3; PTS: 9)
2. Philadelphia (GP: 3; GF: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 6)
3. Columbus (GP: 3; GF: 5; GD: +2; PTS: 4)
4. Kansas City (GP: 3; GF: 4; GD: +1; PTS: 4)
5. DC United (GP: 3; GF: 1; GD: -1; PTS: 4)
6. Houston (GP: 2; GF: 4; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
7. Toronto (GP: 3; GF: 3; GD: -1; PTS: 3)
8. New England (GP: 2; GF: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
9. New York (GP: 3; GF: 4; GD: -1; PTS: 2)
10. Chicago (GP: 3; GF: 0; GD: -5; PTS: 1)

WESTERN CONFERENCE:

1. FC Dallas (GP: 3; GF: 5; GD: 0; PTS: 6)
2. Vancouver (GP: 2; GF: 3; GD: +2; PTS: 6)
3. Los Angeles (GP: 2; GF: 5; GD: +4; PTS: 4)
4. Chivas USA (GP: 3; GF: 4; GD: -1; PTS: 4)
5. Real Salt Lake (GP: 3; GF: 3; GD: +1; PTS: 4)
6. San Jose (GP: 3; GF: 3; GD: -1; PTS: 4)
7. Portland (GP: 3; GF: 5; GD: -1; PTS: 2)
8. Colorado (GP: 3; GF: 2; GD: -2; PTS: 1)
9. Seattle (GP: 2; GF: 1; GD: -1; PTS: 1)

CAF Champions League

The first weekend of the first round proper of the CAF Champions League concluded with seven games played on Sunday.

At Addis Ababa, Ethiopia:

Yonatan Birhanu (7') scored what proved to be the winning goal as Saint George blanked visiting Djoliba AC from Mali 2-0 in the opening match of their two-game series.

At Bujumbura, Burundi:

The opening match between Vital'O and visiting Enugu Rangers from Nigeria resulted in a 0-0 stalemate. 

At Bizerte, Tunisia:

Ali Machani (50'), Ahmed Harran (PK-58'), and Fakhreddine Jaziri (71') each delivered a goal in the second half as CA Bizertin broke open what had been a scoreless deadlock at halftime and dominated visiting Dynamo FC 3-0 in match one of their two-game series.

At Caala, Angola:

Henry Camara scored the winning goal in the 76th minute as Recreativo do Libolo took their series-opening match with Al-Merreikh 2-1.  Ramadan Agab kept the Sudanese club in the series with his goal in the 45th minute.

At Abidjan, Ivory Coast:

Coton Sport took the opening game of their series with AFAD Djekanou 1-0 on the road.

At Luanda, Angola:

Iheb Msakni scored the only goal of the match in the 44th minute as Esperance ST took the opening game of their series with Primeiro de Agosto 1-0 on the road.

At Dakar, Senegal:

Visiting Stade Malien Bamako took the opening match of their series with Casa Sport 2-1 on the road.

MLS: Five-Draw Saturday; Impact Still Unbeaten and Untied; Philly Top Revs At Home

Seven games were played on Saturday as Major League Soccer observed "Rivalry Weekend."

At Harrison, New Jersey:

DC United and the homestanding New York Red Bulls battled to a 0-0 stalemate.

At Kansas City, Kansas:

The Chicago Fire held hosts Sporting Kansas City to a 0-0 deadlock.

At Montreal:

Patrice Bernier (PK-34') and Marco Di Vaio (45'+1) provided the scoring as the Montreal Impact won their first three games of the season for the first time in their two-season MLS history following their 2-1 victory over Toronto FC in their home opener.

At Chester, Pennsylvania:

Jack McInerney scored the only goal of the match in the 76th minute as the Philadelphia Union defeated the visiting New England Revolution 1-0.

At Columbus, Ohio:

Justin Morrow's goal in the 73rd minute lifted the San Jose Earthquakes to a 1-1 road draw with the Columbus Crew, whose tally came in the 68th minute from Leandro Leandro Glauber Berti.

At Sandy, Utah:

Alvaro Saborino's equalizer in the 80th minute carried Real Salt Lake to a 1-1 home draw with the Colorado Rapids.  Deshorn Brown scored at 37 minutes for the visitors.

At Seattle:

Rodney Wallace's header in the 90th minute lifted the Portland Timbers to a 1-1 Cascadia Cup road draw with the Seattle Sounders as the visitors began defense of their title.  Eddie Johnson scored for the Sounders in the 13th minute.

CAF Champions League:

Action from the first round proper of the CAF Champions League continued with six games on Saturday.

At Nairobi, Kenya:

Emad Moteab scored twice (48', 57') as Al-Ahly defeated Tusker 2-1 on the road in the opening match of their two-game series.

At Lusaka, Zambia:

Ndumiso Mabena scored the only goal of the match in the sixth minute as the Orland Pirates will head back to South Africa with the advantage for their two-game series following their 1-0 game-one road win over Zanaco.

At Gaborone, Botswana:

Mbwana Samata scored the only goal of the match in the 80th minute as TP Mazembe took the opening game of their two-match series with the Mochudi Centre Chiefs 1-0 on the road.

At Kano, Nigeria:

Kano Pillars dominated visiting AC Leopards 4-1 in their series opener.  Mustapha Musa (9'), Umar Zango (45'), Mannir Ublae (52'), and Kabiru Umar (90') each scored once for the hosts.

At Abidjan, Ivory Coast:

Sewe Sports, with Ocansey Mandela scoring twice (51', 81'), dominated their series opener at home with Al-Hilal Omburman 4-1.

At Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso:  

With Sango scoring the winning goal in the 81st minute, ASFA Yennenga took the opening game of their series with Algeria's ES Setif 2-1 at home.

Europa League Quarterfinal Draw: Blues Get Rubin Kazan; Spurs Get Basel; Yellow Canaries Battle Young Eagles; Eagles Take On Magpies

The draw for the quarterfinal round of the Europa League took place at Nyon, Switzerland on Friday.

The opening games will take place on April 4 with the return contests to take place on April 11.

The opening-game hosts are listed first:

Chelsea vs. Rubin Kazan

Tottenham Hotspur vs. FC Basel

Fenerbahce vs. Lazio

SL Benfica vs. Newcastle United

The winners will advance to the semifinal round.

UEFA Champions League: PSG To Take On Barca; Galacticos Get Galatasaray; Bayern To Battle Juve; Anchovies To Combat Dortmund

The draw for the quarterfinal round of the UEFA Champions League took place on Friday at Nyon, Switzerland.

Tuesday, April 2:

Paris Saint-Germain will host FC Barcelona

Bayern Munich will play host to Juventus

Wednesday, April 3:

Malaga will host Borussia Dortmund

Real Madrid will play host to Galatasaray

As for the return contests:

Tuesday, April 9:

Borussia Dortmund will host Malaga

Galatasaray will host Real Madrid

Wednesday, April 10:

Barcelona will host PSG

Juve will host Bayern Munich

The winners will advance to the semifinal round.

CAF Champions League: Zamalek, FUS Rabat Take Series Openers; Scoreless In Bejaia

Action in the first round proper of the CAF Champions League got underway on Friday with three games.

At Borg El Arab, Egypt:

Ahmed Gaafar scored the only goal of the match in the 67th minute as Zamalek defeated visiting AS Vita Club from the Democratic Republic of the Congo 1-0 in the opening contest of a two-game home-and-away total-goals series.

At Rabat, Morocco:

Brahim El Bahri (8'), Marwane Saadane (50'), and Mohamed Fouzair (69') each scored a goal as FUS Rabat found themselves 90 minutes away from the second round following their 3-0 series-opening home domination of Cameroon's Union Sportive de Douala.

At Bejaia, Algeria:

The opening contest between Ghana's Asante Kotoko and home-standing JSM Bejaia ended in a 0-0 stalemate.

Copa Libertadores

Three games were played on Thursday in Copa Libertadores group-stage action.

Group One:

At Montevideo, Uruguay:

Juan Riquelme's successful penalty kick in the 44th minute was the lone goal of the match as Boca Juniors defeated Club Nacional 1-0 on the road, enabling the Argentinian club to climb to second place in the Group One standings.

GROUP ONE STANDINGS:

1. Club Nacional (GP: 4; GD: +1; PTS: 7)
2. Boca Juniors (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 6)
3. Toluca (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 5)
4. Barcelona (GP: 4; GD: -1; PTS: 3)

Group Three:

At Sarandi, Argentina:

Diego Braghieri scored the winning goal in the 85th minute as Arsenal de Sarandi knocked off visiting Sao Paulo FC 2-1.

GROUP THREE STANDINGS:

1. y-Atletico Mineiro (GP: 4; GD: +6; PTS: 12)
2.    Sao Paulo FC (GP: 4; GD: -1; PTS: 4)
3.    Arsenal de Sarandi (GP: 4; GD: -3; PTS: 4)
4.    The Strongest (GP: 4; GD: -2; PTS: 3)

y-Won Group Three and clinched a berth in the knockout stage

Group Five:

At Oruro, Bolivia:

Jose Marcelo Gomes (14') and Carlos Saucedo (48') each scored a goal as Club Deportivo San Jose blanked visiting Millonarios 2-0.

GROUP FIVE STANDINGS:

1. Club Tijuana (GP: 4; GD: +3; PTS: 9)
2. Corinthians (GP: 4; GD: +4; PTS: 7)
3. Club Deportivo San Jose (GP: 4; GD: -3; PTS: 4)
4. Millonarios (GP: 4; GD: -4; PTS: 3)

Europa League: Blues, Spurs, Magpies Advance; Lazio, Benfica, Too

The Europa League's second knockout round---the Round of 16---concluded on Thursday with eight games.

At Moscow:

After 180 scoreless minutes of regulation time throughout both games of this two-match series, Jose Rondon (100') and Vladimir Dyadyun (112') each scored a goal in overtime as Rubin Kazan defeated Levante 2-0 in both game two and the two-match series on aggregate to advance to the quarterfinal round.

At Saint Petersburg, Russia:

Despite dropping a 1-0 game-two decision on the road to Zenit Saint Petersburg, FC Basel still won their two-match series 2-1 on aggregate.

At Milan, Italy:

After Inter Milan took game two at home against Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 to square their two-contest series at 3-3 on aggregate, Tottenham Hotspur, with Emmanuel Adebayor scoring in the 96th minute, grabbed a 4-3 aggregate lead on the Nerazzurri, Ricardo Alvarez scored for Inter in the 110th minute.  But with the series at 4-4 on aggregate after overtime, Spurs still advanced due to the away-goals rule (which is, believe it or else, in effect in overtime).

At Istanbul, Turkey:

In a contest played in an empty stadium due to incidents that took place during a home Europa League Round-of-32 match with FC BATE Borisov, Salih Ucan scored the series-winning goal in the 44th minute as Fenerbahce gained a 1-1 home draw in game two with FC Viktoria Plzen and won their series 2-1 on aggregate.

At Bordeaux, France:

Oscar Cordozo scored twice in the final quarter-hour (75', 90'+1) as SL Benfica won game two 3-2 on the road against Bordeaux and took their two-game series with the French club 4-2 on aggregate.

At Newcastle upon Tyne, England:

Papiss Cisse scored the only goal of both the game and the series (90'+3) as Newcastle United won both game two and their two-match series with visiting FC Anzhi Makhachkala 1-0 on aggregate.

At Rome:

Libor Kozak delivered a hat trick (6', 8', 87') as Lazio defeated VfB Stuttgart 3-1 at home in game two and took their two-game series 5-1 on aggregate.

At London:

Juan Mata (34'), John Terry (58'), and Fernando Torres (71') each tallied once as Chelsea defeated visiting Steaua Bucharest 3-1 in game two and won their two-match series 3-2 on aggregate.

CONCACAF Champions League: Mixed Bag For MLS Clubs; Dynamo Ousted, Galaxy Advance

The quarterfinal round of the CONCACAF Champions League concluded on Wednesday with two games.

At Torreon, Mexico:

Juan Rodriguez (22'), Herculez Gomez (27'), and Marc Crosas (76') each scored a goal as Santos Laguna overturned their 1-0 road defeat of last week with a 3-0 game-two home win over the Houston Dynamo and a 3-1 aggregate series win.

At Carson, California:

Omar Gonzalez (17'), Jose Villarreal (68'), Robbie Keane (82'), and Jack McBean (90') each delivered a goal as the Los Angeles Galaxy dominated visiting Herediano 4-1 in game two and took out the Costa Rican club by that same score on aggregate to advance.

Both two-game series in the semifinal round involve clubs from Major League Soccer going up against clubs from Mexico's Liga MX.

The Los Angeles Galaxy will take on two-time defending champions Monterrey with the opening game at Carson, California in three weeks, with the return match to take place the following week in Mexico.

The Seattle Sounders will host Santos Laguna in the opening match of their two-game series in three weeks with the Mexican club hosting the return contest the following week.

Copa Libertadores

Four games were played in the group stage of the Copa Libertadores on Wednesday.

Group One:

At Guayaquil, Ecuador:

The match between Toluca and home-standing Barcelona (not THAT one) ended in a 0-0 stalemate.

Group Three:

At La Paz, Bolivia:

Luis Mendez's own goal in the 82nd minute proved decisive as Atletico Mineiro grabbed a 2-1 road win over The Strongest.

Group Five:

At Sao Paulo, Brazil:

Alexandre Pato (27'), Paolo Guerrero (37'), and Paulinho (82') provided the scoring punch at Corinthians dominated visiting Club Tijuana 3-0.

Group Seven:

At Barquisimeto, Venezuela:

Wilson Pittoni scored twice (41', 47') as Club Olimpia ran roughshod over hosts Deportivo Lara 5-1.

GROUP SEVEN STANDINGS:

1. Club Olimpia (GP: 4; GD: +5; PTS: 7)
2. Newell's Old Boys (GP: 4; GD: +2; PTS: 6)
3. Universidad de Chile (GP: 4; GD: -2; PTS: 6)
4. Deportivo Lara (GP: 4; GD: -5; PTS: 4)

UEFA Champions League: Bayern (Despite Dropping A 2-0 Decision At Home), Malaga Advance To Quarterfinals

Two games were played on Wednesday as the Round of 16 in the UEFA Champions League came to a close.

At Munich, Germany:



Despite dropping a 2-0 decision at home to Arsenal in game two, Bayern Munich, thanks to their 3-1 game-one road win in London, with the aggregate score at 3-3, advanced on away goals.  Here, we see the Gunners' Olivier Giroud scoring in the third minute.


At Malaga, Spain:



Malaga defeated visiting (and ten-man) FC Porto 2-0 in game two and ousted the Portuguese club 2-1 on aggregate.  Isco (43') and Roque Santa Cruz (77', that's him, on the right, celebrating with teammates) provided the scoring as the Anchovies--who are facing a potential four-year ban from European competition--overturned their series-opening defeat in Portugal to advance to the Champions League's quarterfinal round.

Photos from Yahoo-Eurosport website

AFC Champions League

Group-stage play continued in the AFC Champions League on Wednesday with eight games.

Group C:

At Doha, Qatar:

Djibril Cisse scored twice (17', 58') as Al-Gharafa defeated visiting Sepahan 3-1.

At Dubai, United Arab Emirates:

Emad Al Hosani scored twice (17', 37') as Al-Ahli came from behind to top Al-Nasr 2-1 on the road.

GROUP C STANDINGS:

1. Al-Ahli (GP: 2; GD: +3; PTS: 6)
2. Sepahan (GP: 2; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
3. Al-Gharafa (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
4. Al-Nasr (GP: 2; GD: -4; PTS: 0)

Group D:

At Tehran, Iran:

Jlloyd Samuel (64') and Farhad Majidi (73') each delivered a goal as Esteghlal defeated visiting Al-Ain 2-0.

At Riyadh, Saudi Arabia:

Yasser Al Qahtani scored twice in the second half (57', 74') as Al-Hilal defeated visiting Al-Rayyan 3-1.

GROUP D STANDINGS:

1. Esteghlal FC (GP: 2; GD: +2; PTS: 4)
2. Al-Hilal (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
3. Al-Ain (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
4. Al-Rayyan (GP: 2; GD: -2; PTS: 1)

Group G:

At Beijing, China:

Lang Zheng (22') and Piao Cheng (80') provided the scoring as Beijing Guoan defeated visiting Sanfrecce Hiroshima 2-1.

At Tashkent, Uzbekistan:

Kamoliddin Murzoev's stoppage-time equalizer (90'+4) enabled FC Bunyodkor to salvage a 2-2 home draw with Pohang Steelers.  Lee Kwan-Ju scored in the 67th minute to give the South Korean club a one-goal lead that lasted until the hosts' game-tying tally during second-half stoppage time.

GROUP G STANDINGS:

1. FC Bunyodkor (GP: 2; GD: +2; PTS: 4)
2. Beijing Guoan (GP: 2; GD: +1; PTS: 4)
3. Pohang Steelers (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 2)
4. Sanfrecce Hiroshima (GP: 2; GD: -3; PTS: 0)

Group H:

At Kashiwa, Japan:

Leandro Domingues scored twice (21', 89') as Kashiwa Reysol got the better of the visiting Central Coast Mariners 3-1.

At Suwon, South Korea:

Guizhou Rehne from China held home-standing Suwon Samsung Bluewings to a 0-0 stalemate.

GROUP H STANDINGS:

1. Kashiwa Reysol (GP: 2; GD: +3; PTS: 6)
2. Suwon Samsung Bluewings (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 2)
3. Guizhou Rehne (GP: 2; GD: -1; PTS: 1)
4. Central Coast Mariners (GP: 2; GD: -2; PTS: 1)

CONCACAF Champions League: Sounders, Striped Gang Advance To Semis

Two games were played on Tuesday as the second and final week of the CONCACAF Champions League's quarterfinal round commenced.

At Seattle:

Goals from DeAndre Yedlin (53'), Djimi Traore (60'), and Eddie Johnson (75') enabled the Seattle Sounders to bounce back from 1-0 halftime and 2-0 aggregate deficits and upend visiting ten-man Tigres 3-1 in game two and win their two-game series 3-2 on aggregate.  The Sounders became the first Major League Soccer club to eliminate a Mexican club in this tournament since the current format was inaugurated five years ago.

At Monterrey, Mexico:

Walter Ayovi scored in the 63rd minute as Monterrey gained a 1-1 game-two home draw with Zelaju and won their two-match series with the Guatemalan club 4-2 on aggregate.

Copa Libertadores

Group-stage action in the Copa Libertadores continued on Tuesday with four games.

Group Two:

At Lima, Peru:

Irven Avila's equalizer in the 74th minute enabled Sporting Cristal to gain a 1-1 home draw with Club Libertad.  Pablo Velazquez scored for the Paraguayan club in the 53rd minute.

Group Four:

At Buenos Aires:

Federico Insua's successful penalty kick in the 75th minute proved to be the winning goal in Velez Sarsfield's 3-1 home triumph over Penarol.

GROUP FOUR STANDINGS:

1. Velez Sarsfield (GP: 4; GD: +5; PTS: 9)
2. Penarol (GP: 4; GD: -1; PTS: 6)
3. Club Sport Emelec (GP: 4; GD: -1; PTS: 6)
4. Deportes Iquique (GP: 4; GD: -3; PTS: 3)

Group Seven:

At Santiago, Chile:

Maxi Rodriguez (19') and Martin Tonso (84') provided the scoring as Newell's Old Boys blanked Universidad de Chile 2-0 on the road.

Group Eight:

At Caracas, Venezuela:

Edder Farias scored the winning goal in the 67th minute as Caracas FC defeated visiting Gremio 2-1.

GROUP EIGHT STANDINGS:

1. Fluminense (GP: 4; GD: -1; PTS: 7)
2. Gremio (GP: 4; GD: +4; PTS: 6)
3. Caracas FC (GP: 4; GD: -1; PTS: 6)
4. CD Huachipato (GP: 4; GD: -2; PTS: 4)